Mouthpiece for wind-instruments



(No Model.)

F. R. SKIDMORE.

MOUTHPIEGE FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS.

No. 52 ,993. Patented Nov. 13, 1894.

6 Q 3 Q 4 Pr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK R. SKIDMORE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

MOUTHPIECE FOR WIND-INSTRUMENTS.

sPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent No. 528,993, dated November13,1894.

Application filed February 1, 1894. Serial No. 498,709. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK R. SKID- MORE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouthpieces forWind-Instruments; and I declarethe following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in the constructionof mouthpieces for wind instruments such as, cornets, trombones, &c.,and my said invention consists in the matters hereinafter described andpointed out in the appended claims.

Considerable difficultyis experienced in producing low tones upon windinstruments having small sized mouth-pieces, as well as in producinghigh or shrill tones upon instruments provided with large sizedmouth-pieces, and it is to provide a combination mouthpiece of suchconstruction that the player may at will adjust the same, so as toadvance a mouth-piece of desired size, there being a plurality ofsections each provided with a separate mouth piece, that my presentinvention is designed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal view partly insection and partly in elevation of one form of my improved device. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a somewhat different form of mydevice. Fig. 3 is a' view partly in section and partly in elevation ofstill another form of my improved device.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A designates a mouth-piece,adapted for engagement with a tubular part of the instrument in theordinary manner.

In the particular form of construction shown in Fig. 1, the mouth-pieceA is made of substantially cylindric form, adjacent to its forward end,and a second mouth-piece or section B is movably fitted therein, so asto slide longitudinally in or out. Suitable apertures a a are providedin the rear end of the cylindric section A, through which suitableparallel rods 1) b are passed and engaged at their forward end with themovable section B. The rear end of these rods 1) b are preferably joinedtogether by a cross piece I) which forms a convenient stop by means ofwhich said rods and the connected movable section B may be adjusted byhand. Springs B B are conveniently provided upon the rods 1) b andarranged to engage between the rear end of the cylindric part of thesect-ion A, and suitable shoulders upon the rods 1) b, and said springsserve to normally retract the movable section B in an obvious manner.

I find it convenient to make the two sections A and B of substantiallythe form shown in Fig. 1, the section A being provided with the tubularextension A at its rear, for engagement with the tubular part of theinstrument, and the movable section B being provided with acorresponding tubular projection A telescoped within the tubular sectionA of the section'A.

In the particular form of construction shown in Fig. 2, the section A isshown as of smaller diameter than the movable section, which latter istelescoped upon the outside of said section A and has movable engagementtherewith. In this form of construction the movable section 0 isarranged upon the outside of the section A, and is provided with acylindric portion at its forward end, having a cylindrical recess 0 of asize corresponding with the outside of the forward end of the section A.An annular shoulder at is provided upon the outside of the tubularextension A of the section A, and an interior annular shoulder c isprovided within the tubular extension 0' upon the section 0, and betweenthese shoulders d and c is arranged a spring D which serves to normallyretract the outer movable section 0. A suitable projection or stop 0 isprovided upon the tubular extension 0 by means of which the movablesection 0 may be pressed forward at will.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 3, the stationary section A isshown as provided upon its inside and also upon its outside with movablesections, the inner movable section B corresponding in construction andarrangement with the section B of the form shown in Fig. 1, and beingprovided with the same movable rods 1) b and springs B B, with the crosspiece I) as before described.

The outside of thesection Ain this form of construction is madecylindric as well as the inside and upon the outside thereof, is secureda movable telescopic section E, to the rear end of which are securedsuitable rods e e which extend rearwardly through projecting ears 6 6upon the outside of the tubular extension a of the section A and uponthe rear ends of which are arranged springs E E hearing against saidears and suitable shoulders on the rods e e.

In each form of my improved device, the fixed or stationary section A isarranged to normally project beyond the movable section or sections, soas to be normally in position for use, and in playing the performer usesthe fixed or stationary section of the mouth-piece while producing thelow or the high tones as the case maybe, and in case he desires toproduce tones either above or below the range of said stationary orfixed section, he advances the movable section into position for use.

The form of construction shown in Fig. 1 is designed to euabletheperformer by use of the smaller movable section B to produce tones ofhigher pitch than could be produced by means of the larger sizedstationary mouth-piece.

In the form shown in Fig. 2, a smaller section is made stationary andthe outer section movable, so as to enable the performer by the use ofthe larger movable section to produce tones below the range of thestationary section A.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the intermediate section A is madestationary and the inner section 13 is designed for producing tonesabove the range and the outer movable section for producing tones belowthe range of said intermediate stationary section.

By my improvement, a performer is enabled by a proper adjustment of thesections of the mom h-piece to produce tones having a higher or a lowerrange than would be possible with the single stationary mouth-piece, andthereby to materially increase the compass or range of the instrument.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A mouthpiece for wind instruments comprising a plurality of tubularsections havin telescopic engagement with each other and at least one ofsaid sections being longitudinally movable with respect to the othersection or sections and adapted to be adjusted beyond or retractedwithin the line of the other section or sections, substantially asdescribed.

2. A month piece for wind instruments comprising a plurality of tubularsections having telescopic engagement with each other, at least one ofthe sections being longitudinally movable with respect to the othersection or sections, and suitable means for adjusting the same beyond orretracted within the line of the other section or sections,substantially as described.

3. A month piece for wind instruments comprising a plurality of tubularsections having telescopic engagement with each other, at least one ofthe said sections being longitudinally movable with respect to the othersection or sections suitabie means projecting to the outside of themouth piece and adapted for operation by hand to advance the same beyondor retracted within the line of the other section or sections, andsuitable means for normally retracting said movable sectionsubstantially as described.

4. A mouthpiece for wind instruments comprising a plurality of tubularsections of dif ferent diameters, each suitably shaped at its forwardend to enable it to be used as a mouth piece, and at least one of saidsections being longitudinally movable with respect to the other sectionor sections and adapted to be adjusted to or beyond or retracted withinthe line of said other section or sections so as to enable a desired oneof said sections to be used as a mouth piece, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

FREDERICK R. SKIDMO RE.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN E. WILEs, M. M. WILEs.

